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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — a price
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stem — to come from
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. charge — in control
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. snap — to click
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a ring
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com